"How rare is my latest purchase?" That is a question that is heard often among collectors and can be a difficult one to answer. Collectors' definitions of the term "rare" are almost as numerous as collectors, making the answer subjective from the beginning. Because the existing number of a variation is seldom known with certainty, the answer is as much a matter of opinion as it is fact. While original production numbers are useful, the military surplus collector is usually interested in current availability in his marketplace. Loss during battle, import regulations, geography and politics all affect this. With imported military surplus firearms, availability can even be regional within the US. With the advent of the internet and the ability of the collector to buy from sources across the country, this is becoming less of an issue.

Other factors in "rarity" that interest collectors are year of production, location of production, and ancillary markings. For example, 1943 dated Izhevsk M44s are difficult to find while 1944 dated Izhevsk M44s are readily available from numerous distributors. Change the arsenal to Tula, or add a DDR "triangle 1" mark to the same 1944 M44 and you have a sought after collectible. Yet the same "triangle 1" mark on an otherwise common M91/30 hardly draws extra attention. Hopefully these examples have illustrated the difficulty of the task in determining "rarity" and will encourage the collector to research a firearm thoroughly before buying or selling. This could prevent not only a potential financial loss, but the loss of an opportunity to add a truly rare firearm to a collection.

In spite of the difficulties, an attempt has been made to create a guide to the rarity of various Mosin Nagant models and variations. It is impossible to include every possible combination of features in this list. The purpose is primarily to enable new collectors of Mosin Nagants to establish realistic and attainable goals and recognize opportunities when they knock."Slim Tim" and "Mike O" deserve credit for advice and information given during the creation of this page without holding them responsible for any mistakes. The ratings and comments on this page, and any mistakes, are the responsibility of the webmaster. The rankings are based on observations at gun shows and on the internet and information that collectors have shared about their acquisitions and collections. This is only a guide and cannot replace the advice of a knowledgeable collector about a specific firearm. Collectibility and value have no bearing on the rankings. Each variation is ranked on a scale of 1 to 10 from most common to most rare.